As-Saffat · Makki · ayah 91 of 182

As-Saffat 37:91

فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِهِمْ فَقَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ

“Then he turned to their gods and said, "Do you not eat?[1295]”

Saheeh International

Essence

Alone in the temple, Ibrahim turns to the idols and the food laid before them and asks one quiet question: will you not eat?

A reflection

Gods who had to be fed

The commentaries describe what Ibrahim found in the temple. A great hall, a large idol facing the door, smaller ones beside it in descending size. And food. The people had set dishes before their gods before leaving for the festival. They would return and eat it, believing it had been blessed while they were away.

So Ibrahim's question was literal before it was anything else. There is the food. A-lā taʾkulūn: will you not eat?

See the arrangement for what it is. The worshippers fed their gods. They brought the dishes, carried them in, set them out, came back for them. The gods contributed nothing but the claim of a blessing no one could see.

Now set it against how the Quran describes the true God. He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth, 'who feeds and is not fed' (6:14). And from Allah Himself: 'I want no provision from them, nor do I want them to feed Me' (51:57).

In the temple, the direction of feeding ran upwards, from people to statues. In reality it runs downwards, from Allah to every living thing. He feeds the worshipper, the baker, the sparrow, and the very people who set dishes before stones. He needs nothing in return.

That breaks a quiet pride in us. We often imagine our worship as something we bring to Allah, as if He were waiting for our offering. The ayah reverses the picture. Everything we bring was first brought to us. The prayer, the strength to stand, the breath to recite, the food that gave us energy to get to the mosque. We are always the fed, never the feeders.

So when you next eat, remember who set the dish before you. And when you next worship, remember that it is not a meal you are serving Him. It is a meal He is serving you.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.